Adjusting means for interlocking conduits.



PATENTBD APR. 16, 1907.

' J. L. PAY; ADJUSTING MEANS PoR INTERLOGKING GQNDUITS.

APPLIOATIGN FLBD SEPT. 16.1905.4

nl: NaRRJs PETER: ca.. wAsHlNafoN, n. c.

JOHN FAY, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI.

ADJUSTING MEANS FOR INTERLOKING CONDUITS.

Specification of Letters Patent.'

Patented April 16, 1907.

l Application iiled September 16, 1905. Serial No. 278,791.

To @ZZ whom it may concern,.-

Beit known that I, JOHN L. FAY, a citizen of the United States, residing at St. Louis, in

the State of Missouri, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Means for Adjusting the Interlocking Sections of Electric Telephone and Analogous Wire Conduits, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to means for adjusting the meeting edges of the multiple semicircular or other shaped grooves or channels which are formed longitudinally in the faces of the interlocking blocks or sections of an electric-wire conduit, and has for its object to effect the alinement of the said edges when closed together in the assembled position of the blocks to form the circular ducts of the conduit, and thereby maintain the internal circumferential and longitudinal smoothness and continuity of the said ducts.

Ordinarily the interlocking blocks lor sections of a conduit to which my invention is applicable are composed of concrete or similar material laid in courses one on the other, the meeting faces of the respective blocks of two succeeding courses having the longitudinal grooves or channels of the ducts, being formed at each side of one face with a rabbet and ateach side of the other face with a flange projecting therefrom at right angles and adapted to engage with the said rabbet.A Owing to the frangible nature of the material composing the blocks, a suitable space or play is left between the inner faces of the said rabbets and flanges for enabling` the.

blocks to be freely placed in position and interlocked without injury thereto, whereby it constantly happens that in consequence of this play the meeting edges of the semicircular channels vforming the ducts when the blocks are assembled do not coincide, but are more or less out of alinement, thereby causing injury to the insulating-covering of the telephone or other wires when drawn through the ducts of the conduit.'

My invention consists in features of novelties, as hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, whereon- Figure 1 is a top plan of a portion of an electric-telephone-wire conduit having my invention applied thereto 3 Fig. 2, a side elevation thereof; Fig. 3, a vertical transverse section therethrough on line 3 3 in Fig. 2; Fig. 4, a vertical transverse section, to enadjacent portions of two adjoining blocks or sections (broken away) of the conduit on line 4 4 in Fig. 2, showing the blocks adjusted by my invention, Fig. 5, a horizontal section.

thereof on line 5 5 in Fig. 4, and Fig. 6 a side elevation of the same.

Like letters and numerals of reference denote like parts in all the figures. j a represents a portion of an electric-telephone-wire conduit consisting of a series of interlocking concrete blocks or sections 1 2 3, laid together in courses one on the other. In'the meeting faces of the blocks l 2 3, respectively, are formed longitudinal semicircular or other shaped grooves or channels 4, which when the blocks 1 2 3 are laid together, as shown, form the multiple circular ducts b, which extend the entire length of the conduit a and constitute the housings for the telephone-wires with their insulating-covering. (Not shown.)

The meeting face of each lower block l is formed at each side with a rabbet 5, which is engaged by a corresponding flange 6, projecting at right angles from each side of the meeting face of the adjoining superimposed block 2, a space 7 being left between the inner opposite faces of the rabbet 5 and flange 6, as shown. Similarly the upper meeting faceA of the block 2 and the meeting face of the superimposed block 3 are formed, respectively, with rabbets 5 and flanges 6,' having intervening spaces 7, as in the case of the blocks 1 and 2. When any two blocks-say2 and 3- are laid together in the ordinary manner, with their respective rabbets 5 and fianges 6 engaged with each other, a preferably isosceles-triangular-shaped wedge, equal in distance in each direction from its apeX or maximum, is inserted in each of the opposite spaces 7 with its base bearing against the face of the rabbet 5 until its apeX is alined to the rabbeted end surface 9 of the block 3, whereby, the wedges 8 being of equal thickness, the blocks 2 and 3 are equally spaced or adjusted at each side or so as to bring the meeting edges of their semicircular channels 4 into coincidence or alinement, in which position of the blocks 2 and 3 the .followerblock 3 (indicated by broken lines in Fig. 2) is placed on and moved along the block 2 in the direction of the arrow over the outer disengaged half x of each wedge 3 until the inner end of the block 3 butts against the rabbeted end 9 of the block 3, when the blocks 2 and 3 larged scale, through the meeting faces and IOO IIO

are equally adjusted at each side by the wedges 8 and the meeting edges of their semicircular channels alined to each other and to the corresponding edges of the blocks 2 and 3, and so on in like manner throughout the entire series of blocks, which, on being adjusted as described, are set with cement in the usual manner, the wedges 8 remaining in place and maintaining the circumferential smoothness and longitudinal continuity of the ducts b for the entire length of the conduit a.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

In a conduit of the character described, the combination with a series of interlocking blocks having a channel in their meeting faces respectively, adapted to form a continuous duct longitudinally through the conduit in the assembled position of the blocks and having a rabbet at each side of one of the said 2o faces and a flange at each side of the other said face opposite to the said rabbet, of wedges interposed between the inner faces of the said rabbets and flanges respectively, the said wedges being of equal thickness and 25 adapted to bear at their bases against the said faces of the rabbets and having their apices coincident with the meeting end faces of the corresponding adjoining said flanges, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

JOHN L. FAY.

Witnesses:

S. B. WAY, EDWARD W. FURRELL. 

